Visiting Broken Hill - the journey begins

We flew into Broken Hill on Monday night, 19 March. I hadn't been to Broken Hill before and was looking forward to the trip.

The Rex flight was delayed by two hours, later we would discover that happened quite often, so it was quite late when we got to the Hotel, the Astra. That was a pleasant surprise. Our rooms were quite palatial.

In the I awoke early as I so often do. Somehow that early morning time has especial value. Mind you, it can be pretty dreadful if I go to bes late the night before!

As an original country pub, the Astra had large fist floor verandahs. I sat there watching the sun come up  over Argent Street, the main drag. It was very quiet.

Getting my guidebooks out I began to plane what we might do. We were there on business, but there was no reason I couldn't fit a little more in. I was also interested in the history of Broken Hill, for the city occupies a very special niche in Australian history. 

I will explore that history - story of boom and bust in the red dust - a little in my next post.       

Kimberley Heritage Cattle Drive

In Swimming, Kununurra, I mentioned that eldest was visiting Kunnunurra for the first time. Then in today's Australian Lyndall Crisp had an interesting piece, Three days in the saddle, on her experiences on the Home Valley Station Heritage Cattle Dive. Home Valley is a major Aboriginal owned station in the Kimberley's.

I had intended to write a full companion piece setting Lyndall's experiences in a broader context. Sadly, I cannot download the supporting visual material that I require.

I have submitted a request to Home Valley Station to access that material. In the meantime, do read Lyndall's piece. The video she includes is good, but you need to let it run a little before getting onto the cattle drive itself.    

Sarah discovers the Northern Rivers

Good to see that Sarah Whyte is no longer in the dark about the Byron hinterland's charms. Bit sad, though, to think that Lismore should now be counted as hinterland for the much smaller Byron Bay!

Carping aside, Sarah's story gives a reasonable picture of some of the attractions of the New England/NSW Northern Rivers region.

I also noticed that a new blog has just appeared, Taste Northern Rivers, that promises to explore some of the food of the area. I look forward to reading more.  

Welcome visitor 20,000

Visitor 20,000 came from Sydney via Google searching on blogs about growing old australia. This brought them to Getting old in Regional Australia. Another topic that I should update!

Welcome visitor 20,000.

Abrams tank, Queensland outback

I hadn't intended to return to Gordon Smith's 2011 outback tour so soon, but I was struck by this photo.

Who would expect to meet a modern tank in the Queensland outback? Actually, I suspect that there is a real story here. But that's a matter for another post! 

Swimming, Kununurra

As I mentioned earlier in the month, eldest has been to Kununarra in the Kimberley's in Western Australia to visit boyfriend.

I had wondered what her reactions would be.

While she was born in Armidale, she has been living in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and in some ways has become a metro girl.

She really enjoyed herself.

I will do a proper interview later, but for the moment I just wanted to include this water scene.  

Brolgas, Bladensburg National Park, Queensland

Back on 21 July I mentioned Gordon Smith's outback adventure. He has continued his photo tour since.

This photo shows brolgas at  Bladensburg National Park. This is around 16 km (10 miles) from Winton in inland Queensland.

Do have a browse of all his outback tour 2011 photos. I think that you will find it rewarding.

Practicing law in regional Australia: Don Olney

I wrote my first post on this blog about regional legal practice, Practising Law in Regional Australia, back in October 2006.

One point that I have made that I need to return to is that the returns from professional practice in regional Australia all depend upon your needs. I was reminded of this by the obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald of Dubbo solicitor Don Olney. I quote from the first few paragraphs of Malcolm Brown's story.   

Don Olney, born at the end of World War II, was a brilliant student at Normanhurst Boys High School, where he studied under the benign dictatorship of legendary headmaster Tom Pearson and had energy to burn.

He was admitted as a solicitor of the NSW Supreme Court in 1969 and there was no stopping him. He had already met the love of his life, secretary Rhonda Howells, during his daily train trips from Hornsby to the city and had married her in 1967 while still a student.

Completing his articles with the legal firm Baldich, McPherson and Walsh, he found himself a fully fledged lawyer, virile, with a beautiful wife and the world at his feet. But where was he to go?

He went bush, a reverse of the trend of young professionals who prefer the comfort and convenience of the metropolis. During his long and successful career in Dubbo, in central western NSW, he showed just what a young professional could do in a regional area.

I leave you to read the rest. It's just that the story illustrates my point.

Related post: Sydney barrister tree-changes to Glen Innes

Regional Living Australia reader interests July 11

Back in 2007 I wrote a short series of posts on the Kimberley region. Eldest left this morning for Kununurra to visit her boyfriend who is a pilot with Alligator Airways, so I am going to be able to get a direct update. In the meantime, we have reached month's end. 

At the end of each month I look at the most popular posts on this blog to get a feel for reader interests. The most popular posts on this blog in July were:

• Moree - live the lifestyle 81 page views
• What food did the Aborigines eat in New England? 28 page views
• Experiencing regional difference within Australia 24 page views
• Sydney barrister tree-changes to Glen Innes 21 page views
• Studying in Regional Australia - Central Queensland University 20 page views
• Australia's Regional Differences - Melbourne vs Sydney 17 page views
• Getting the Best out of Regional Living - Wagga Wagga case study 16 page views
• Gordon Smith's outback adventure 16 page views
• Regional Australia Food & Wine - Orange NSW 15 page views

Country real estate still offers best returns

Yesterday in NSW rental yields by LGA - June quarter 2011, I provided some data on rental yields in NSW. Today, the Sydney Morning Herald carried a story suggesting that Australian house prices continued to decline.

In any in investment house, the final return depends upon the combination of rental yield with capital gain. The higher the rental yield, the lower the capital gain required, the more secure the investment. In those days when I was buying investment houses I did okay because i bought in the country with a starting high gross rental yield by metro standards.

If you look at the rental yields for NSW in yesterday's post, you can see how low Sydney yields are even with recent rent rises. That is one reason why house prices themselves are in trouble.

If you look at country yields, you ace that country yields are higher. The best country returns have passed; in many areas, prices are up. You should have bought two years ago. Still, in comparison with Sydney gross yields remain better, capital gain prospects at least as good.

It remains true: go country if  you want to make money.